WBCSD President

It all begins and ends with measurement

2013-03-05T14:28:17+01:00

In a previous post, I highlighted the need for a radical transformation of capitalism in view of better balancing the financial, natural and social dimensions of capitalism as the only way to future-proof our economies. Measuring and reporting on corporate performance are essential components of this transformation. In this spirit,...

Getting down to business with the United Nations

2013-02-14T11:24:20+01:00

The United Nations has played a pivotal role in addressing sustainable development ever since it defined the term in the Brundtland Report back in 1987. We should give them credit: the UN has been good at engaging all sectors of society, including business, on sustainability. That more companies continue to...

We need a Revolution of Capitalism to balance return on financial, natural and social capital

2012-12-19T15:40:24+01:00

I recently had the amazing honor of giving the keynote address at the Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Forum at St. James’s Palace where I spoke about the role of the finance and accounting community in future-proofing our economy. Below is an abridged version of my speech. Click here for the...

Doha delivers a Doha Climate Gateway – so what?

2012-12-13T11:53:00+01:00

While there was an outcome to last week’s COP 18, not much was gained. The Doha Climate Gateway provides continuity for a shrunken Kyoto Protocol but delivers no progress on climate ambition and no incentives for climate action and scale-up of low-carbon investment. The relatively modest expectations for success were...

How business can help protect our forests

2012-12-10T13:40:33+01:00

Today, with the WRI, we released the third edition of Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products. This guide and resource kit offers solutions that can help businesses of all sizes buy forest products from sustainably managed forests, thereby contributing to improved forest management. Forests play a critical role for...

Sustainability is top of the agenda

2012-11-20T10:57:31+01:00

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda, for both government and business. That was in evidence at our very successful Council Meeting in Seoul. The roster of stellar speakers at our opening plenary included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon; Korean Prime Minister, Hwang-sik Kim; and Vice Minister for the...

We need to scale up action now

2012-09-13T12:45:40+02:00

I have been at the world’s largest and most important conservation event, the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress (WCC). The WBCSD was the main sponsoring business organization at the event, with member companies Hitachi, Holcim, Mondi, Shell, Syngenta, Vale and Korea BCSD. I was immersed in debates on nature and conservation...

Rio+20 has ended. But what happened?

2012-06-28T10:31:06+02:00

The basic facts are that more than 50.000 people gathered in Rio de Janeiro to talk about Sustainable Development of our planet and economies at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Led by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the Brazilian government—and after some definite moments of doubt—193...

Our hopes for Rio+20

2012-06-15T10:10:02+02:00

It is June 15, 2012 and Rio+20 is about to start. What it will bring is yet unknown, but of course we come here each with our own hopes, goals and expectations. On the plane to Rio coming over from Europe I overheard a conversation between two business men: “you’ve...

Notes from around the world

2012-04-05T11:33:31+02:00

I have just returned from an enriching trip to Japan and used the opportunity to meet with our member companies, get to know my colleagues and better understand their concerns and priorities. I was particularly keen to find out first-hand how Japanese business opinion on the future energy mix, after...